TORONTO, Aug. 13, 2018 /CNW/ - Aviva Community Fund (ACF) celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and will once again donate $1 million to fund charitable initiatives in communities across Canada. In celebration of the communities it serves, Aviva Canada is kicking off this year's ACF competition with the launch of #BetterTogether events.

Starting today and until August 24, submissions are open for the #BetterTogether events at avivabettertogether.org. There are 100 prizes of $1,000 up for grabs for those looking to host events that bring the community together – such as barbeques, open houses, restoring community spaces, or hosting an arts or cultural gathering. In addition to these events, the ACF will fund 60 #BetterTogether projects with over $900K – that competition will launch on August 28.

"Finding ways to bring people together and foster a sense of belonging to a community is not only a nice thing to do, it's necessary," says Colm Holmes, President and CEO at Aviva Canada. "We know that bringing people together can help create stronger and healthier communities."

Research shows that when communities are made up of people who trust and feel connected to each other, they are healthier and more resilient. Regardless of this fact, today only 32% of Canadians feel a strong sense of belonging to their communities.1 Since 2009, the ACF has been uniquely positioned to see communities rally behind amazing idea submissions, their projects come to life, and the lasting positive impact delivered as a result – but there's still more work to be done.

For the tenth anniversary of this year's ACF campaign, Aviva Canada is putting even more focus on supporting charities and community groups who come together through their common interests, cultures and causes they care about, taking a moment to celebrate them and remembering why we're #BetterTogether.

"Aviva Canada knows that when people come together for a common purpose to create positive change, their community thrives. For the last 10 years, the ACF has stood for these values because we believe communities are truly #BetterTogether," Holmes continues.

The ACF is the country's longest running online funding competition and has donated over $8.5 million to 280 causes across Canada since 2009. For more information on the #BetterTogether events and many other ACF prizes, please visit avivacommunityfund.org.

About Aviva Canada

Aviva Canada is one of the leading property and casualty insurance groups in the country, providing home, automobile, leisure/lifestyle and business insurance to 2.8 million customers. A subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, Aviva Canada has more than 4,000 employees focused on creating a bright and sustainable future for their customers and communities.